Illuminated decoration



Sept. 1, 1964 R. SABUCO ILLUMINATED DECORATION Filed April 9, 1962 INVENTOR Bemo Sabuco Olitcrnegs United States Patent 3,146,955 ILLUMINATED DECORATION Remo Sabuco, 2120 Ludington St., Escanaba, Mich. Filed Apr. 9, 19'62, Ser. No. 186,059 4 Claims. (Cl. 240-64) This invention relates to an illuminated decoration, and particularly to a portable and decorative table decoration having a hidden light source within a decorative representation.

In restaurants and night clubs the pleasantness and charm of the atmosphere is enhanced by tasteful table decorations, such as simple floral pieces. It is one object of this invention to provide such a decoration, but one with utility.

In such restaurants and night clubs, particularly those that are dimly lit, there is a problem in attracting the attention of a waiter, and a patron must be constantly alert to signal him and catch his eye at just the right time. It is another object of this invention to provide a ready and dignified means for summoning a waiter which relieves the patron of any necessity for alert watchfulness to obtain service.

These and other objects are accomplished by the device of this invention which comprises a hollow base member such as a vase, an electric battery pack in electrical connection with a switch, and an illuminable decorative element that has substantially all electrical elements concealed, such as a translucent artificial floral decoration having a hidden bulb socket in a cup-like blossom portion, and hidden electrical conductors in the stern that provide an electrical circuit between the bulb socket and the battery pack, which circuit may be opened and closed by the switch. The battery pack and base are cooperatively formed so that the battery pack may be concealed in the base and the battery pack has means for holding the decoration to protrude from the upper portion of said base and to be held above said base. Thus, the combination has, except for the switch which may be very unobtrusive, all of the electrical elements concealed from view, and when it is not in use it presents the appearance of a decoration.

When a patron desires the services of a waiter, he merely operates the switch to close the electrical circuit and the concealed bulb lights to illuminate the decoration, for example, by causing the blossom part of a floral decoration to glow dimly from the internal illumination shining through translucent plastic petals.

This invention can best be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows one embodiment of the invention and which is intended to be illustrative rather than limiting on its scope.

In the drawing, a base in the form of a vase is generally designated by the numeral 10. The vase is tall enough to contain a battery pack in case 11 and it has a large enough cross-section area to permit the case 11 to enter the vase. A flange 12 engages the top portion of case 11 and the upper portion of vase 10 to maintain the case 11 in its proper position with respect to the vase 10. The case 11 thereby hangs in the vase, and its low center of gravity keeps the flower upright.

The case 11 contains batteries, such as standard dry cells 13 and 15 which are connected in series. The batteries are connected in a series circuit which includes a central contact 14 that is insulated from case 11, compression spring 16, threaded cap 17 and the case 11. The terminal 21 of the switch designated generally as 18 connects to central contact 14 by a conductor 19. The switch 18 also includes a second terminal 20 and an actuating member 22 which preferably opens and closes the circuit by alternate pushes to depress member 22.

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The decoration in this embodiment consists of a stem 23, a cup-like flower blossom 25 and foliage 26. The entire decoration is made from translucent material such as flexible polyethylene plastic which is appropriately colored. For example, the blossom 25, as illustrated, is a rose blossom and may be red, yellow or white, while the stem 23 and foliage 26 are green. The blossom 25, shown in cross-section, is constructed with means, such as a stiff Wire loop 27 into which a small bulb 28 is screwed. The bulb 28 is positioned deeply enough within the blossom 25 to be concealed from view when not illuminated.

Operation of the switch interconnects terminals 20 and 21 thereby placing a pair of wires 29 and 31 into the battery circuit described hereinabove. The wires 29 and 31 run through the hollow stem 23, the upper end of wire 29 being soldered to a base portion 32 of a socket for bulb 28, while the socket is completed by the loop 27 which comprises the upper end of the wire 31. The lower end of the wire 31 is connected to terminal 20, and the lower end of wire 29 is suitably connected to the case 11 to complete the circuit.

When the switch 18 is open, the device of this invention is an ordinary decoration including a blossom, a stern and a vase. When switch 18 is closed, the blossom portion of the device glows dimly so as to cause neither discomfort nor a degree of illuumination that disturbs the character of the atmosphere, but illumination that is evident to a waiter so that the patron can continue to enjoy himself and still communicate his desire for attention.

The device of this invention is constructed to be easily disassembled to repair it or replace batteries by simply lifting the unitary decoration and electrical assembly from the vase. It may be used without cords or wires and need not be near an electrical outlet. The device may also be employed as decoration in the home, particularly as a night light to provide comforting but dim illumination in a childs room while he is going to sleep. Although described as a floral piece, the device of this invention may be constructed in other decorative forms such as statues, insects, candle-like structures or the like. The vase or hollow base member 10 preferably is filled at its lower end with some suitably heavy material to provide a weighted portion 33 for stabilizing the device and keeping it from being tipped over accidentally.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1. A decorative signalling device comprising A. a hollow base member B. a battery unit including (1) a case (2) a battery means within said case (3) a central contact insulated from said case (4) a spring urging said battery means into engagement with said central contact and electrically interconnecting said battery means with said case C. a switch connected at one side to said central contact and having an actuating means extending above said case D. means for holding said battery unit spaced from the walls of said base member and centrally oriented within it,

E. a decorative illuminated element including a concealed bulb socket, said illuminated element being supported by said battery unit and upstanding above it P. and concealed conductors electrically connecting said bulb socket in series with said switch and said case.

2. The decorative device of claim 1 further characterized in that said means for holding said battery case spaced from the walls of said base comprises a flange having the actuating portion of said switch on one side and said battery case on the other, and dimensioned to engage the internal walls of said base.

3. The decorative device of claim 2 further characterized in that said base has an upwardly tapering upper section and said flange engages said upper section at a point high enough to maintain said case hanging within said base.

4. An illuminated floral decoration comprising A. a battery case B. a switch in electrical circuit with said battery case C. a flange connectible to said switch and case to hold firmly the manually operated portion of said switch on one side of said flange, and said battery case on the other side D. a vase having (1) an upwardly tapering upper opening that is larger in diameter than said flange, which opening tapers to a medial throat that is smaller in diameter than said flange but larger than said case (2) an overall height that is capable of containing said case below the point Where said upwardly tapering opening has an inside diameter equal to the outside diameter of said flange, said flange engaging the internal walls of said vase above said medial throat,

E. a floral decoration made of translucent material and having a stiff, hollow stern containing electric conductors and a cup-like blossom containing a bulb socket in the bottom of said blossom and in electrical connection with said conductors F. said hollow stem extending through an opening in said flange and said conductors connecting said bulb in series with said switch and said case beneath said flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

4. AN ILLUMINATED FLORAL DECORATION COMPRISING A. A BATTERY CASE B. A SWITCH IN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT WITH SAID BATTERY CASE C. A FLANGE CONNECTIBLE TO SAID SWITCH AND CASE TO HOLD FIRMLY THE MANUALLY OPERATED PORTION OF SAID SWITCH ON ONE SIDE OF SAID FLANGE, AND SAID BATTERY CASE ON THE OTHER SIDE D. A VASE HAVING (1) AN UPWARDLY TAPERING UPPER OPENING THAT IS LARGER IN DIAMETER THAN SAID FLANGE, WHICH OPENING TAPERS TO A MEDIAL THROAT THAT IS SMALLER IN DIAMETER THAN SAID FLANGE BUT LARGER THAN SAID CASE (2) AN OVERALL HEIGHT THAT IS CAPABLE OF CONTAINING SAID CASE BELOW THE POINT WHERE SAID UPWARDLY TAPERING OPENING HAS AN INSIDE DIAMETER EQUAL TO THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF SAID FLANGE, SAID FLANGE ENGAGING THE INTERNAL WALLS OF SAID VASE ABOVE SAID MEDIAL THROAT, E. A FLORAL DECORATION MADE OF TRANSLUCENT MATERIAL AND HAVING A STIFF, HOLLOW STEM CONTAINING ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS AND A CUP-LIKE BLOSSOM CONTAINING A BULB SOCKET IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID BLOSSOM AND IN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION WITH SAID CONDUCTORS F. SAID HOLLOW STEM EXTENDING THROUGH AN OPENING IN SAID FLANGE AND SAID CONDUCTORS CONNECTING SAID BULB IN SERIES WITH SAID SWITCH AND SAID CASE BENEATH SAID FLANGE. 